Cable war pose law and order problem

The ongoing war between private cable Tv operators and also MSOs (Multiple system operators) in all major towns is posing a law and order problem and even taking communal shape in the district.

The private cable Tv operators are dividing the villagers and rallying behind each cable Tv MSO.        

The war reached its peak with the entry of Set-top boxes as some of the cable tv operators were offering them for free while others were reducing their prices as part of the digitalization of cable services.

In the process, cable Tv connections were getting shifted to one MSO to another or one private cable operator to another.           

The cable Tv war has started showing its ugly head, with the groups trying to have an edge over one another, which even resulted in a killing of a cable operator in Puspur village in Lokeshwar mandal few days ago.

In Adilabad, Nirmal, Mancherial in the district, local political leaders have entered into cable Tv business and become MSOs as they strongly believe that the publicity will give them political edge and mileage over their political rivals. The cable war also has caste angle too.

News is making rounds in the political circles that, political leaders have entered into the cable Tv connection business to get political mileage in the next elections.

The Cable Tv war started intensifying with the entry of more and more private companies. This was when rival groups began resorting to underhand means by cutting the cable wires of their opponents or creating disturbances to the services or to turn their rival’s cable Tv connections to their side.

Superintendent of police Dr Tarun Joshi visited the Puspur village in Lokeshwar mandal. He took the stock of the situation following stone pelting on the houses and torching the vehicles of accused B. Rajanna and Sajid Pasha in the killing of S. Pankaj Patel who was a local cable Tv operator.     

Police pickets were put up at two places in the village and section 144 was imposed and huge police force deployed in the village to avoid untoward incidents and to maintain peace. 

SP told the villagers not to resort to any retaliatory actions and that he would conduct a meeting with the villagers in two day’s time to maintain peace and harmony in the village.